GW prices.

[Bean]

Bottom line is only total revenue, and really only a good measure of short term profitability. With their price increases they can do the same while selling less, or better while selling at a flat rate. But even the models sold aren't a true indicator of their performance for the long term. for that you need data on people, how many people are leaving/starting, the game. number of models sold while not perfect is a better representation of this than the bottom line. But since you're so damn smart you know this already.

BTW does anyone have any sales figures on the number of models sold? or just bottom line?

I agree, you need data on the number of people who are leaving/starting the game, but that data hasn't been presented. Remember, Ikari; you are the one whose been making positive claims about the state of the business. You are the one who needs that data to back up your assertions, and you don't have it.

Your post here pretty much completely undercuts your entire argument up to this point--and rightly so.

[gendoikari87]

because that data hasn't been collected. So your right there is no hard evidence. That being said there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of significant stagnation if not player drop offs. But anecdotal is anecdotal, what we need is real data to be collected on the subject and that GW doesn't investigate this is worrysome.

[Bean]

because that data hasn't been collected. So your right there is no hard evidence. That being said there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of significant stagnation if not player drop offs. But anecdotal is anecdotal, what we need is real data to be collected on the subject and that GW doesn't investigate this is worrysome.

There's also anecdotal evidence of significant growth--like the coffee-shop-guy's 20 new players.

Anecdotal evidence just doesn't really cut it.

And yes, I would like GW to investigate it--but neither you nor I know that they don't. Indeed, they seem to have a business plan that they're comfortable with. They might be idiots who haven't bothered to gather the sort of data they'd need to come to that conclusion legitimately, but I'm not sure there's any real reason to think that this is the case.

[Wildeybeast]

This is a moot point. How can GW, or indeed anyone, possibly keep track of the number of people leaving/joining the hobby? An annual survey might give a rough indication, but that will be deeply flawed as most people who have given up will have little interest in completing a survey and many people who still play won't bother. If it were possible, I'm sure GW would already be doing it. The number of people actively playing is also a false indicator of the health of the business. I play regularly but haven't bought anything since last autumn. What matters to GW is how much stuff people buy. The most reliable indicator is like for like unit sales in stores and on the web, but I'm not sure if GW publishes this information. That would tell you whether more people are buying more stuff or GW is masking declining sales with higher prices and new stores/products.